Quick answer
Brazilian residence and naturalization files look for criminal records at the level of each country where you lived, and a county sheriff's letter covers one county. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The records section of the Florida county sheriff's office where you live or lived, with its employee signing before a Florida notary when the letter is issued.
- Florida state fee
- $10 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 2016
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Brazil in Miami; Consulate General of Brazil in Orlando
- Translation
- Our general rule for translations is certified by the translator, notarized by a separate notary and apostilled in Florida, but Brazil instead requires its own public translators.
How a Florida sheriff clearance letter is used in Brazil
Brazilian residence and naturalization files look for criminal records at the level of each country where you lived, and a county sheriff's letter covers one county. It rarely satisfies those requirements, so check whether you need an FDLE check or an FBI check instead; federal records are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, not by us. A sheriff letter can help as a supplement, for example for a Brazilian school or employer that asks for a local clearance. If you use one, get it notarized at issuance so it can be apostilled.
Getting a sheriff clearance letter Florida will apostille
An original letter on the sheriff's office letterhead, signed by its records employee and notarized when issued, with a complete Florida notarial certificate and seal. A plain printout, an emailed PDF or a letter you take to a notary afterwards can't be apostilled.
Contact the records section of the sheriff's office, say the letter is for an apostille and ask for the notarized version; each office sets its own process, fees and ID rules. Sheriff's office fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the sheriff clearance letter apostille page.
Who receives it in Brazil — and translation
Cartórios de registro civil transcribe foreign births, marriages and deaths under CNJ Resolution 155/2012, and cartórios de notas use powers of attorney and handle many inventários. Brazilian consulates in the U.S. register births and issue CPF numbers for foreigners abroad. The Superior Tribunal de Justiça homologates foreign judgments, public universities revalidate degrees, the Polícia Federal handles migration, and the Receita Federal and state Juntas Comerciais deal with companies.
Our general rule for translations is certified by the translator, notarized by a separate notary and apostilled in Florida, but Brazil instead requires its own public translators. Under Law 14.195/2021, only a tradutor e intérprete público registered with a Brazilian Junta Comercial gives a translation public faith in Brazil, and the original-language document must accompany it. Apostille in Florida first, then have a Brazilian public translator translate the apostilled original, and ask whether the apostille page must be translated too.
Brazil has no single age limit for foreign documents, but cartórios, banks and registries often want recent certificates, especially certificates of status and criminal records. Order fresh copies shortly before filing; old consular legalizations from before August 2016 are no longer accepted in place of an apostille.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Brazil in Miami; Consulate General of Brazil in Orlando.
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send your document
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why sheriff clearance letters get rejected
- Letter not notarized
- Notarized later by a notary who didn't witness the signature
- Scan or copy instead of the original letter
- Older than the receiving authority's age limit
What it costs for Brazil
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to Brazil is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).